Reflector panel



w. D. FLYNN, JR 2,825,326

REFLECTOR PANEL March 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 23. 1954 I W1 7 M M w u ATTORNEYS March 4, 1958 V w, D, N, JR 7 2,825,326

v REFLECTOR PANEL Filed April 25, 1954 2 Sheets-sheaf 2 I BY {1 1 '14 ATTORNEYS United States Patent REFLECTOR PANEL William D. Flynn, In, Atlanta; Ga. Application April 23, 1954, Serial :No. 425,248'

3 Claims. (G1: 126-"1'41) This invention relates to a reflector panel and more particularly to a heat reflecting panel to concentrate reflected heat and light waves at a selected point or area.

his a primary object of this invention to provide a reflector panel to be more particularly described hereinafter which is mounted on a conventional support having removable sheets of reflecting material which'may be easily expended and replaced by another sheet when and as desired.

- It is another object of this invention to provide a reflecting panel of this kind used in a home or industrial plant where it is desired to focus heat from a source to a point distant from its origin.

A further object of this invention is to provide a heat reflector of this kind which is easy to install while being economical in its original cost as well as in its upkeep.

Other and further objects and advantages of the inventoin will be hereinafter described and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of a mounted reflector constructed according to an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a connector for the reflector, partly broken away.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the mounted reflector.

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an exploded side elevation of the reflector shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross section, partly broken away, taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line 88 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a transverse section, partly broken away, of the pad of expendable reflector sheets of this invention, removed from its support.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates generally a heat reflector constructed and arranged according to an embodiment of my invention. The heat reflector 10 is particularly adapted to be used in a home or in any industrial plant for reflecting concentrated heat from its source of origin to a location or area remote from the source of heat supply. The heat reflector panel is provided with a pad or plurality of reflecting sheets which may be formed of any suitable metal which is inherently reflective as aluminum sheet or other highly reflective metal covered material. The reflective sheets are replaceable and are disposable when they become coated with soot or other foreign material to render the same ineffective for accomplishing their purpose. The sheets of reflective material are found to be best suited when they are of the foil type which will lend itself to the curvature of the reflector 10 on its support 11.

The support 11 may be any conventional type of fire grate or andirons asin the present showing, wherein hori- 2. zontal arms 12 are provided ashaving feet 14 formed adjacent to the opposite endsthereof.

A supporting;screen.'16"is carried by the support 11 and is preferably formed of a wide mesh screenof the type generally designated'as hardware cloth and generallyusableas a fire screen.

A- plurality of L-shaped tabs 17 are secured to the lower edge of the supporting screen 16 and av lurality of inverted L-shaped tabs 18 are secured on the upper edge of the supporting screenbetween which a pad of replaceable reflector sheetsrnay be disposedwhen the reflector is positioned for use.

An outwardly extendingarm 19 is formed on the lower. edge of each of the inverted'L-shaped tabs 18, the arms having openings'20 spaced outwardly from the tabs for the reasons and purposes to be described hereinafter.

A small mesh screen 21 is supported'on the heat side of the reflector 10 to Whicha plurality of flat strips 22 are secured adjacent to the opposite ends of the reflector by staples 27, there beingalso similar strips 22' secured adjacent to the center thereof. The-flat strips 22 and 22' substantially stiffen the small mesh screen 21 for its support on. the wide mesh supporting screen 16.

A pad '24 is located'on the small-mesh screen 21 the pad 24 embodying a plurality of sheets 25 of reflecting material, the several sheets of the pad being secured together by partially open staples 27. Bolts 26 secure the lower L-shaped tabs 17 on the wide screen 16 with the tabs projecting beyond one side of the screen 16, the tabs being so arranged as to be engaged by the extensions 24' formed on the lower ends of the flat strips which fall opposite thereto, the extensions 24 being disposed in the openings 20.

Secured to the screen 16 are bolts 26 which bolts 26' provide securing means for securing the lower ends of the coiled springs 22 to the screen 16, the opposite ends of said springs 20 being secured to the clips 18 and acting to bias the clips towards the upper ends of the strips 22 which also have reduced ends 29 that are disposed in the openings 20 of the tabs 18. The tabs 18 are also provided with finger pieces 30' to effect movement of the tabs 18 to stretch the springs 20' in positioning the tabs 18 over the upper ends of the strips 22.

The staples 27 also secure the pad 24 to the small screen 21 so that each sheet 25 of foil material may be removed from the pad 24 when it is desired as when the reflective surface becomes damaged or otherwise rendered ineffective for accomplishing its purpose.

A clamp 28 having a supporting arm 29 pivotally carried thereby is in the present showing detachably secured to the horizontal longitudinally extending arm 12 of the support 11 which in the present showing forms a part of the andirons. The arm 29 has a slot 30 extending longitudinally thereof through which a bolt 31 is slidably engaged, the bolt 31 having a wing nut 32 on the threaded end thereof for securing the arm 29 and reflector in the desired position of angular adjustment with respect to its support.

Each sheet 25 is also provided with an access opening 34 through which the point or edge of a tool, as a poker, may be engaged for removing the uppermost or outermost of the sheets 25 so that the next underlying sheet of the reflector pad will be exposed.

In the use and operation of the heat reflector 10 described above, the base or supporting wide mesh screen is initially engaged on the support 11 through the clamp 28.

For the operation of the heat reflector 10, the wide mesh screen together with the small mesh screen and pad are disposed in a horizontal arcuate position with the concave side thereof facing the source of heat for reflecting the heat at a distance remote from the source of heat.

As each sheet 25 becomes dirty or damaged the sheet may be removed for exposing an underlying sheet to be used as the actual heat reflector. The access openings 34 are staggered relative to each other and relative to each of the sheets so that each sheet to be replaced may be removed without disturbing the location of the adjacent sheet.

While the specific details of one embodiment of the invention have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

It might be further stated that while the reflector panel has been shown and described as supported on andirons, it is to be understood that it is within the scope of the invention to support the reflector on the conventional basket grate commonly used in open fireplaces.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A heat and light reflector panel of the kind described comprising a body adapted to be secured to a base support, said body including a second support, a flexible wire mesh supporting screen stifi enough to be self supporting but sufliciently flexible to permit manual adjustment of the curvature thereof, elongated arms each having a longitudinal slot therethrough pivotally connected at one end to said base support, securing members pivotally connected to each of said arms, means comprising a bolt slidable in the slot of each arm secured to said supporting screen and a wing nut for each bolt, for adjusting the position of said supporting screen, a pin adjacent each end of said screen engaging through a slot in one of said arms, a fine mesh screen removably mounted on said wire screen and a pad of metal foil sheets expendably carried by said thin mesh screen opposite from said supporting screen. 1

2. A heat and light reflector panel as defined in claim 1 wherein said supporting screen, said thin mesh screen and said pad of sheets are arcuate between said supports.

3. A heat and light reflector panel as defined in claim 1 wherein said sheets ofmetal foil are of a heat and light reflecting material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 955,745 Bailey Apr. 19, 1910 1,524,034 Holquist Jan. 27, 1925 1,574,259 Sarfl Feb. 23, 1926 1,890,828 Richardson et al Dec. 13, 1932 2,174,425 Schlumbohm Sept. 26, 1939 2,238,365 Hurley Apr. 15, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 613,467 Great Britain Nov. 29, 1948 

